Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LAPLACE – Cars were lined up down Airline Highway in LaPlace last week, stretching from New Wine Christian Fellowship in LaPlace to East St. John High School in Reserve.

A generous donation of fresh produce from CRC Global Solutions allowed New Wine to distribute groceries to more than 1,300 families over a two-day period, according to Pastor Neil Bernard. Approximately 500 to 600 families received groceries in a drive-thru set-up on April 7. An additional 820 families benefitted from the CRC donations on April 8.

To abide with social distancing guidelines, families remained in their cars. Bernard is grateful to the dedicated team of community volunteers and workers from the St. John Sheriff’s Office who bravely stepped up to the plate to help.

This is not the first time CRC Global Solutions has donated fresh produce to the St. John Parish community, according to owner Ronnie Mains. Based in Kenner, the global company regularly gives back to churches and food banks around the New Orleans metropolitan area.

CRC trucks pick up donated food that would otherwise go to waste from large groceries and redistribute it to fight hunger in local communities.

The company has built a strong partnership with New Wine Christian Fellowship and has supported the people of St. John through tumultuous events such as hurricanes and the unexpected shutdown of Bayou Steel that laid off more than 350 employees. On several other occasions, the donations have come on a regular day, for no special reason at all other than to give back.

“We do this all of the time, not just when there is a disaster,” Mains said. “Disaster or no disaster, we try to make a difference in the communities that we live in. In the metro area, we do an average of about four or five truckloads to market each week.”

CRC’s donations have increased in recent weeks to combat the impact COVID-19 has had on food availability.

“In the past six weeks or so, we have put almost 2 million pounds of food into the markets. People really need it,” Mains said. “I’m born and raised here in Louisiana. It’s part of my values and the values of the company to give back. We started out real small and have grown to become an international company, and we’ve always given back in the community.”

Mains said donations center on produce to promote healthy living.

CRC has also delivered food to hospitals, hosted Christmas events for children and surprised retirement home residents with flower bouquets.